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Lobbyists

At last, I have put up online a final version of what has turned out to be
a separate book, The
Regulation of Local Lobbying. This free 342-page
resource has three parts. The first part explains what local
lobbying is, how it differs from lobbying at the state and,
especially, the federal levels, and the special characteristics of
procurement and land us lobbying. It considers the public's view of
lobbying, the...

One of the news media's biggest problems is failing to look at the
big picture and, instead, focusing on specific events and issues.
This is especially true when it comes to government ethics, where
the news media generally considers, and calls for, ethics reforms on
a piecemeal basis.

When gifts from lobbyists to government officials are discussed,
what they consist of is usually money (including campaign
contributions), meals, trips, and services. A pending Missouri House
bill (2059; attached, see below) seeks to extend the
definition of reportable "gift" from lobbyists in this context to
include:

sexual relations between a registered lobbyist and a member of the
general assembly or his or her staff. Relations between married
persons or between persons...

Local governments that lack a lobbying oversight program do not have to merely throw up their hands when a huge procurement matter arises. They have the choice to set rules for that matter which, if it works, may later be applied more generally.

This is the lesson that comes from the York, Ontario region which, according to a recent...

When it comes to lobbying disclosure, local government agencies
should lead the way. According to an
article in the San Diego Reader, this is not the case
with the San Diego Airport Authority, whose lobbying firm did not
disclose any of the lobbying it did for the Authority in the first half of 2015.

I will not permit any individual who was a paid member of my
campaign or my mayoral staff to lobby me or my office on behalf of a
private entity. This prohibition will extend through my full
four-year term...